Are guests booking for the vibe?
Plus: Black hotel pioneers, tree-growing guests and a comedian who totally gets your design fails.
A little reality check for the week: guests start judging your vibe long before they hit “book now.” (Your pre-stay messages? They’re not admin, they’re anticipation builders.)
Also, thinking like an investor is totally part of your job. Blending big-picture investment savvy with operator instincts keeps your decisions sharp. And that revolving-door staffing issue? It's probably a retention and leadership story waiting for a rewrite. This week is all about alignment—connecting your voice, vision and team to make the kind of magic guests will feel.
Hitting your inbox later this week: a conversation with interior designer Lesley Wong, who spills her secrets on design details that make a difference.
But first: meet the hotel-hopping trend.
Pioneers of welcome. Hospitality historian and leadership executive Calvin Stovall Jr. released his book, "Hidden Hospitality: Untold Stories of Black Hotel, Motel, and Resort Owners from the Pioneer Days to the Civil Rights Era" this week. Stovall spotlights trailblazers’ grit, their triumphs and the lasting legacy of their hotels—places that emerged as joyful hubs of Black culture and community.
Speak for the trees. Who knew skipping housekeeping could grow a forest? Hotels for Trees connects 200+ hotels worldwide in a feel-good mission where every "no clean today" means one more tree on the planet. It's an easy way for guests to turn a small gesture into a big (green) win.
Simply the best. The 2025 Michelin Key list just dropped, and Michelin is playing hard to get with its highest honor—not a single new Three Key was given to a U.S. hotel. Here's the full rundown of the new class of winners that are officially the most exceptional stays in the country.
It’s funny because it’s true. Chains could turn Jake Lambert’s comedy routine about bad hotel design into a bingo card and win—quickly.
The payoff is the pivot
What if your hotel's exterior made a bold promise that the inside had to keep? A Seattle hotel is leveraging its impeccably restored terra-cotta and brick 1904 façade, using that original "wow" factor as the perfect setup for a contemporary, art-filled interior.
Why it matters: That walk through the elaborate, classical arched entryway that frames The State Hotel's lobby entrance is everything: it instantly grounds you in a sense of place, but the payoff is the pivot. You’re not met with a stuffy, predictable lobby; you're met with bright, airy, contemporary design. The art, sourced hyper-locally from Pacific Northwest artists, acts as the bridge between the building's past and the city's present. Pairing historic charm with modern energy shows you don't need a perfectly preserved interior to tell a powerful story. (Liberté Press)
It’s not them. It’s you.
That nagging "staffing issue" you can't seem to solve? It’s not a staffing issue at all. It’s a leadership and retention issue, and it's time to own it.
Why it matters: Let's be real: for the next generation, "hospitality" has become a byword for burnout, not a ticket to an amazing career, asserts hospitality strategist Scott Eddy.
"We burned out young talent with long hours and no mentorship, then acted shocked when they left. We let toxic mid-level managers drive people out. We told ourselves 'great hospitality people are born, not made' and used that excuse to skip proper training. Now, the best people are leaving for other industries, and the next generation does not want to join us."
—Scott Eddy, hospitality strategist
If your best people are leaving and the next wave of talent isn't joining because they can't see a clear path forward, Eddy says, now is our chance as independents to stop the bleed, fix our cultures and personally mentor the next generation of GMs who will define the future of hospitality. (LinkedIn)
Inbox overload?
Are your pre-arrival emails actually getting opened, or are they just annoying your guests? If you’re hitting "send" the second they book, you’re not building excitement—you're just becoming inbox noise.
Why it matters: That pre-stay communication is your first real handshake with a guest. Getting the timing wrong—either way too early or way too late—just feels pushy or frantic, which is the exact opposite of the vibe you're going for. Hitting that three-to-four day sweet spot is the key to actually being helpful, right when they're starting to pack and plan. It’s also your chance to prove you’re paying attention and that a real, thoughtful host is on the other side. (eHotelier)
In the driver's seat
Owning your independence hits different when you’ve got the business chops to match. If you're thinking of taking your independent hotel game to the next level, knowing the fundamentals of hotel investment lets you play smarter. That’s how independence turns into influence.
Why it matters: Risk factors like competition, capital structure and operator expertise matter every bit as much as guest satisfaction. For someone who lives and breathes their property every day, blending your operator mindset with investor-level insight translates into smarter decisions and, hopefully, stronger outcomes. In other words, you're not just running rooms—you're building compounding value. (Hospitality Investor)
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Mint Pillow is curated and written by Jennifer Glatt and edited by Lesley McKenzie.
